The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced recently that they are finally introducing the long-overdue Best Stunt Design category in the Oscars, starting in the 100th ceremony for films released in 2027.
The upcoming category will honor the fearless stunt coordinators who choreograph the fight scenes and other breathtaking stunt work that we see in films, mostly in the action genre.
Here are the movies in the last 10 years that deserved to win Best Stunt Design at the Oscars if the category existed before.
2024: The Fall Guy
David Leitch's The Fall Guy was considered to be a love letter to the stunt community, as the film is focused on the action-packed adventure of a movie stuntman (played by Ryan Gosling).
The film would have been deserving to win the category not only because of its focus on the movie stunt community, but it also featured awesome action set pieces that proved why the stunt team deserves to get the love that they deserve.
2023: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning
The Mission: Impossible franchise always features some of the best stunt work that you'll ever see on the big screen, with Tom Cruise himself doing all the death-defying stunts.
Dead Reckoning would have been a deserving recipient of the award, given how they proved that the franchise can outdo itself in the newer installments that they released, and Cruise is always willing to put himself in danger, such as driving a motorcycle over a cliff.
2022: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Despite being an independent production, Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once managed to showcase high-class martial arts stunt work and memorable set pieces that made it a beloved film.
While it doesn't have the same budget or resources as the big-budget blockbusters that were released that year, it didn't prevent the film from delivering quality action entertainment.
2021: Dune
Dune was an achievement in science-fiction filmmaking as Denis Villeneuve managed to tell a dense epic story with gusto that we don't see in many blockbusters today.
It also has a lot of visually breathtaking action set pieces that are a wonder to see on the big screen, and there is no denying that it would have been a deserving awardee in that year, where it also dominated the craft categories.
2020: Tenet
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was scarce on films with great action set pieces and breathtaking stunt work, with Christopher Nolan's Tenet being the biggest standout of all.
With its unique "backward" concept and high-stakes action, the film managed to feature some creative stunt work that we rarely see on the big screen, and that alone would have made it a deserving winner.
2019: 1917
Considering that the film was presented in one continuous take, it is impressive that 1917 managed to showcase a lot of great set pieces that are set in the middle of a giant war battle.
While it may not have the best stunt work of that year, the film would have been deserving of the award based on its creativity and unique set pieces that we've never seen in a war movie.
2018: Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Mission: Impossible - Fallout featured some of the best stunt work in the franchise, including two aerial set pieces that are breathtaking considering that they've all been done practically.
Once again, Cruise proved how fearless he is as a performer, and the two aforementioned sequences alone proved that the film would have been a deserving winner this year.
2017: Dunkirk
Dunkirk is hailed as one of the most visually breathtaking war films of all time, partly due to its creative stunt work and well-crafted set pieces that made it a thrilling watch for the audience.
No other film released this year would have matched the accomplishment of what Christopher Nolan did, and it would have been a deserving landslide winner of the category.
2016: Captain America: Civil War
Superhero movies don't usually get recognized by the Oscars, but Captain America: Civil War would have been a deserving winner for the airport battle sequence alone.
The set piece managed to give both well-crafted action stunt work and dramatic stakes in a battle featuring dozens of characters that are beloved by fans. If they'll reward a superhero movie in the category, this should have been one of the recipients.
2015: Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is not just one of the best films of 2015, but it is also one of the best action films of the 21st century, partly thanks to its non-stop amazing stunt work and memorable set pieces that showed the best of cinema.
There is no doubt that this would have been a deserving winner of that year, and it would have been great if the category existed at this time so that the stunt team would have also been rewarded when the film swept the craft categories.
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